Sermons of M. John Calvin upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the GalatiansSermons of M. Iohn Caluine vpon the Epistle of Saincte Paule to the Galathians

and that by his resurrection such righteousness ⟨image 161⟩is purchased for us, that in stead of being damned too the gulf of hell, which is the heritage that belongeth to us, and whereof we be worthy, we be made heirs of the kingdom of heaven: and when we know that in Jesus Christ we recover all that we had lost in Adam, and the cursedness wherein we be wrapped is taken from us, and God hath set us free: that is Gods justifying of us by faith.) And in good faith, when we have well considered the circumstance of the text that Saint Paul allegeth out of the Prophet Habakkuk: we shall see plainly that that is the thing whereunto the holy Ghost leadeth us. For the Prophet had spoken of the chastisements and corrections which God would send upon the people: so as (to look unto) all should seem too be confounded. Now thereupon he saith, that the wicked shall but swell more and more in their pride, howbeit that they shall have no sure footing, but shall stumble with all their sway, & because they will needs exalt themselves, they shall the more cast themselves down, with so much the sorer & fouler fall. That then is the thing which the prophet uttereth against the wicked. And he addeth on the contrary part, but the righteous shall live by faith. Now whereas he saith that the righteous shall live it is all one as if he had said, that gods children shall not find their life near at hand in themselves, but that even when they shall have travelled over all the world, up & down, it shall seem to them that there is nowhere any thing else than the very dungeons of death, & yet notwithstanding that missing of a present life, they shall find a life to come, when they shall have nourished it in their harts & minds by faith. We see then that the Prophets intent is to draw Gods chosen both from the world and from themselves, to the end they may cleave wholly unto him, and not seek any other means to be saved, than by his only grace. But S. Paul hath spoken more briefly here, because he was fully resolved of all that I have declared heretofore, and which he himself hath discoursed, that is to wit, That faith teacheth us too seek all our welfare in God. But the Law teacheth us the contrary. I say it teacheth us it, to the end too show us that to seek it throughly, we must acknowledge that there is not so much as one drop of life in us.

and that by his resurrection suche rightuousnesse ⟨image 161⟩